Criterion sale at Barnes & Noble

I don’t usually post news about sales, but this one sounds like something that many of you might be interested in: there is a Criterion sale at Barnes & Noble, with 50% off almost all Criterion titles, including Eclipse and Essential Art House releases!

What’s the big deal, you ask? Well, most of the best Kurosawa DVDs and blu-rays are Criterion releases, so if you are looking to fill your collection with those missing Kurosawa films, this is a golden opportunity. The sale lasts until August 1, and Barnes & Noble has fairly reasonable shipping rates both in the US and internationally, especially if you order more than two items.

The sale doesn’t actually include quite everything — unreleased things such as the upcoming First Films of Akira Kurosawa box set and the Seven Samurai blu-ray are not discounted, but then again those will only be released in August and October, respectively.

What the sale does include, however, is just about everything else. This for instance means that the AK100 box set is now priced $199 — surely a steal for 25 films, even if the discs don’t come with any extras! That’s $8 per film.

Or, if you already own all of Kurosawa, how about stocking up with our film club films, many of which are available in Criterion editions? This year alone we will go through the silent Ozu box set, the Hiroshi Shimizu box set and 24 Eyes, all now half price. If you were planning to join the discussion but don’t have the films yet, this really is as good as time as ever to get them. In addition to those, there are many other Criterion releases that we will be watching next year: if you have the cash and wish to save long-term, take a look at out schedule.

I better stop here, before I scare you all away with my sales speeches!